Commercial Beauty Shoot | Vana Body | San Francisco, California

Commercial Beauty Shoot for Bay Area beauty co. Vana Body

Creative Director: Andrea Patton

Model: Lachlan McKenzie

Makeup: Anna Grimes

Hair: Jordy Galindo

Okay, I have to admit I had a lot of fun on this shoot!  I am a bit of a nerd at heart, so getting the lighting perfect for this beauty shoot was a delightfully satisfying challenge.

My setup was simple and utilized only three Yongnuo speedlites, a Westcott Rapid Box, two Meking portable softboxes, and one 5-in-1 Etekcity reflector.

To get that even light with the perfect amount of shine, I set up a basic clamshell look using the Rapid Box above and the reflector on a stand below to bounce light back up under her chin and into her eyes.  You can see both light sources in the model's eyes in the image below.  I placed the other two speedlites behind the model and off to each side with the portable softboxes on them to give a fairly strong accent on the hair and cheeks with a soft fall-off.

We shot a variety of images.  Some with the model using the product, and others without the product. This gives the company the option to show their product in use or to sell the feeling of using their product, and it also allows them to write text, add their logo, or even add an image of the product into the corner like you see in some magazine ads.

Helpful Hint: Before the shoot, make sure to pay for the model to get a professional manicure and pick out a color that will work for your shoot.

For this shoot, we weren't shooting clothing, so it might be easy to overlook accessories like rings, earrings, etc. which can add so much to a beauty shoot if you have a stylist with a good eye.

My stylist and I went shopping for brushes and small dishes that would work for this shoot.  I think that getting these little details right really makes a big difference in the final image.  You can also see how the rings and bracelet make the shot above a little more interesting.  I feel like this shot would have felt too empty, like it was missing something if it weren't for those details... and can you imagine this shot if we forgot to get the model a manicure?  It just wouldn't work!

Don't ever forget to have fun!

If you have any questions or comments about this shoot, the setup, or about gear, just leave a comment below!